Life is so much better with a canine companion

A dog’s life would probably be OK without humans around, but you might not be able to say the same of the reverse.

Take the lives of boy dog Scruff, 11, (blue cap, red bow tie, top photo) and girl dog, Casey (pink everything) sitting with their favorite human, Molly White (right) and being served fancy desserts by Dorothy Moore at the Dining Dog Cafe in Edmonds. There’s no way those dogs expected to be invited to Dizzy and Mr. Marbles’ birthday party recently. They couldn’t have known that Molly works for Cheri French, who arranged the whole thing.

But why not? They’ve been lucky ever since Molly rescued them, and took them home with her more than 10 years ago.

When Tami Cole (pictured, above) arrives at the Rucker Avenue Chiropractic Center in Everett, 12-year-old samoyed Nyla greets her in the lobby.

Cole is a regular patient of Dr. Leland Patron, who, along with his wife, Pam, operates the center. Cole loves the affectionate dog and vice versa. On this day, she brought along healthy homemade treats for Nyla.

Pam Patron says the dog is very therapeutic for patients who often arrive at the center in pain. One of Nyla’s brothers, who died at age 9, worked as a greeter in the lobby there for two years, and was also loved by patients.

“Nanook seemed to know when people hurt,” she said. “He seemed to be able to pick out people who were suffering.”

Patient and loyal as always, Noah (above), a female yellow lab belonging to Everett Marina shop owner Mike Pruitt, sits perfectly still earlier this week, watching waterfront activity from the passenger seat of one of her favorite places, Pruitt’s Jeep.